


Unexpected Happiness

by Avrina



Category: StarCraft (Video Games)
Genre: Children, F/M, Family, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2019-11-17 22:55:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18108185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avrina/pseuds/Avrina
Summary: When Matt and Anna meet at a shopping mall, no one expects what will arise...





	1. Chapter 1

“Huh? Sorry…” A boy bumped into Anna and she nearly fell into the rack of jackets in front of her. “I’m really sorry, I’m searching for-” She turned around and he stopped, blushing he looked at her. “It’s okay, don’t worry.”, she said. He wasn’t really a boy anymore, a teenager with the body of an adult and the face of a child, maybe sixteen years old. She smiled and he blushed even more. “Sorry…” He turned around and went away. Anna shook her head and kept searching for some new clothes. When she finally found some she wanted to try, she went to the changing room of the shop, placed in the furthest away corner possible. The dark red blouse was looking good, but the sleeves were too short. With a sigh of frustration, she took it off, when someone opened the curtain of the changing cabin. “Jake, that’s not funny any- oh! Oh fuck, I’m sorry!” She turned half around and saw the boy again. Red as a tomato he let go of the curtain. “It’s not very polite to just open a changing cabin, you know?”, she asked annoyed. “I’m sorry, really! I’m searching for my friend Jake. He was right here just a minute ago.” “Sure.” He mumbled something and went away. Maybe she should just leave the shop…

A bit down the hallway of the shopping mall, she entered another clothing shop. Trying some jeans and shirts, looking around for a jacket, but not really satisfied. She just stepped out of the changing cabin, when in the one next to her someone started to scream: “JAKE! For fuck’s sake, move your ass here and bring my stuff back!” It was the boy she met before. On the other side of the shop was a teenager standing and laughing silently. “Jake!” The boy stepped out- just wearing his nudity and light blue socks. “Jake! Oh… oh fuck…” He saw her and blushed again, his whole body turning red. Anna couldn’t help but blush as well- and that made him smile. Without a word she left the shop. It wasn’t the greatest day for a shopping tour it seemed...

“Ouch, oh, I’m sorry, Miss! Everything okay?” Now it was Anna bumping into someone. “I’m fine, don’t worry.” She picked up the phone the man had dropped and lost the sentence, when she realized, that there was Admiral Horner standing in front of her. In a shopping mall. In a small town. On an unimportant small planet. She had seen him a week ago on TV, standing next to Emperor Valerian during his speech. “I’m sorry, really! Please, I would like to talk!” She heard the voice of the boy somewhere behind her. “Oh, no…” She pushed the phone into Admiral Horner’s hands and hurried away.


	2. Chapter 2

Matt shook his head in surprise when the young woman hurried away, a teenager boy chasing her. His phone survived the unexpected meeting with the floor and he put it back into his pocket. His fleet had a stop at this small planet for reasons he wasn’t sure about- General Arlington had made a wish and Valerian had agreed. So Matt was enjoying a free day in this shopping mall. He couldn’t remember when he did it for the last time, it seemed to be centuries ago. Slowly wandering around, his bodyguards always somewhere behind him, he suddenly spotted the young woman, leaning against a wall and looking between being pissed and embarrassed. He smiled at her and she got pale, even more, when he came closer. “Still running away from your little brother?”, he asked. “That guy’s not my brother. But he seems to chase me… in kinda pervert way…” Now she really looked pissed. “Oh, so-” Her green eyes got small and Matt turned around, just to see the boy walking over. “Could you _please_ let me explain?”, he asked to her. Before she could reply, Matt rose an eyebrow and eyed the boy up and down. “Sorry dude, my turn.” He blushed. “Oh… ehm… sorry… Admiral?” With ears on fire he stumbled away. “Thank you, Admiral Horner.” The young woman smiled relieved. “You’re welcome.” Matt smiled back. “May I invite you for a coffee?” The question was out before he thought about it. “Maybe I should invite _you_ for a proper thank you?”, she asked back, lightly blushing.

He couldn’t guess her age, it could have been everything between twenty and thirty. There were spots she tried to hide under make-up, but also small wrinkles at the corners of her eyes while smiling. “As you want.” He smiled at her and she blushed a bit more. “There’s a coffee shop over there…” He nodded and in an awkward silence they started moving. “So… why the Admiral of the Dominion fleet is here?”, she asked after a few steps and looked at him. “To be honest, I don’t know why my fleet made a stop here. Valerian’s business. But _here_ … well, for personal interests, I guess.” He shrugged. “Shopping?”, she rose an eyebrow with an unbelieving smile. “Kind of.” He smiled as well. They entered the coffee shop and took seats on a table in the background, but Matt felt the people around glancing at him. A waitress appeared. “What can I bring to you?” The young woman ordered something with a fancy name and added cinnamon on top. “And for you?” “I would like to keep it strong and simple.” “Ah. May I suggest a double espresso macchiato?” Espresso was always a good idea. “I take one.” He nodded. “And some of those chocolate cookies.” “Sure.” The waitress went away with the order. The woman in front of him smiled shyly. “So… am I allowed to ask what kind of personal interests lead you to a shopping mall?” “Of course, you are. In the ends it’s somehow silly.” He shrugged lightly and leaned back into the fluffy chair. “Why?”, she asked again. To Matt she seemed admirable calm although she was having a coffee with the Admiral of the Dominion fleet and friend of Emperor Valerian. It was unexpected but it made him relax even more.

“My parents have their 30th wedding anniversary in some weeks. I would like to gift them something. Just something small to show them how thankful I am.”, he answered her question with a shyly smile. “Without them I wouldn’t exist. And I saw friends growing up with parents in divorce… so I am even more happy that I had such a united force behind me.”, he blinked at her and she smiled benignly. “Well, and now, that I’m grown up and out of the house they have still each other.” She gave a little laugh, interrupted by the waitress putting cups and a plate with cookies on the table. “Please enjoy.” “Thank you.” “It’s not silly.”, she said after a moment. “It’s lovely. Maybe you should just write down those thoughts in a letter for them.” “You think so?”, he asked, grabbing a spoon to stir his coffee. “First of all, it’s their wedding anniversary so not exactly related to you like a birthday for example. And second… sometimes a little gesture like a letter is way more precious than every gift could be.” She shrugged slightly and grabbed her big cup with a lot of fluffy foam on top, but her eyes still locked with his. “I guess your parents are divorced?” She nodded and took a first sip. “They got the documents about the divorce being valid exactly on the 20th wedding anniversary.” “Ouch.”, was the only thing Matt could say in first place. He tried his coffee and while adding some sugar, he said carefully: “You can make it better than your parents.” “I was hoping for that.”, she said and her smiled faded. She was hiding behind her cup for a moment before adding: “But who wants a widow with a baby?” Her voice was serious, nearly severe. “I’m sorry to hear that.” His thoughts about having a slight flirt on a day off became dust. “No need to be.” She stared at her coffee. “He decided to become a soldier and I decided to marry a soldier.” “But still…” “There’s something left of him. My daughter.” She didn’t cry and he couldn’t even see tears in her eyes, but the sadness was surrounding her like thick fog. “I’m still sorry. And I apologize for trying to-” “Please don’t.” Her smile came back, a small smile that didn’t fully reach her eyes, but a smile. “It’s not your fault.” He felt uncomfortable, but not enough to just leave. “Valerian tried to evacuate Korhal before the Zerg came. Thanks to that me and my daughter are still alive.” She took a long sip from her coffee. “But the Raiders were fighting together with the Zerg.”, he said low. “But you didn’t kill him in person. He was a soldier. And we were loyal to Emperor Mengsk the First.” He swallowed hard and was surprised when she gently patted his hand. “You know how many widows and widowers are outside there, right? Why you feel so guilty now?” He sighed. “Because it makes a difference to know the facts and to know the persons, Mrs…?” “Anna Carter. And I know what you’re trying to say. But for me it doesn’t make a difference. When I look back, I have to admit that it was foolish to believe in Mengsk.” Matt was a bit speechless and she patted his hand again. “Don’t blame yourself, Admiral. You don’t know how many lives you saved. Valerian is way better than his father could ever be.” “He would like to hear that.”, Matt murmured, still feeling uneasy. She chuckled. “Is he always so super serious or over charming?” “Well…”

She changed the topic and some time later Matt was talking about everything and nothing with her. What she told him stayed inside his head, but together they could laugh and she smiled all over the face. “… I studied medical microbiology. But one year after my degree we got a little surprise so I haven’t a lot of experience.” She slightly shrugged. “And now on this little planet there’s not much to do. Especially when there is no day care available for children so young.” “You would like to go back to your job?” She nodded and Matt replied: “If you want, there is always a way.” She sighed deeply. “Not with a toddler.” She glanced at her small watch and grimaced slightly. “I guess this special toddler is calling for you?”, he asked with a smile. “Yeah… I promised my mother-in-law to be back soon.” She sighed again and rubbed her forehead. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Carter.” Matt rose and gave her a nod. “I’ll be right back.” “But I-” She stopped her protest about him paying and he smiled for himself. Not even two minutes later they stood outside the coffee shop. “Thank you very much, Admiral, for everything.”, she said and blushed, not able to look at him. “I can’t remember when I laughed so much for the last time.” “No need to thank me, Mrs Carter. I should thank you instead.”, he replied with a smile but she was still looking everywhere but not to him. “It’s just Anna.”, she nearly whispered. “So… it’s just Matt.” Finally, she looked up and blushed even more. And there was something in her expression that made Matt blush as well. “I… ehm… I think I need to go…” Her words came slowly, like she didn’t want to say them for real and he nodded. Everything he would have said to someone else didn’t seem to fit. “Was the best day off I had since years.” Did he really say that? But Anna smiled and the blush came back. But instead of saying something more that would have made the situation even more awkward she lowed the gaze, nodded and turned around.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you seriously telling me that you've _bought_ General Arlington's loyalty by sending my fleet _here_ on a regular basis?" "First, it's not _your_ fleet, Matt, it's mine, and second, I'm not _buying_ loyalty. That's a personal negotiating ground." Valerian looked a little miffed. "Call it as you want, but the good general has just rushed me across the sector to come to this planet. Should I also accept it when we have more important things to do than just fly around happily and check everything’s going fine?" Matt was more than a little bit pissed about the situation. "General Arlington knows very well when to put his personal concerns behind. And I sincerely hope you will keep your aversion to him for yourself as well, _Admiral_." "If he stops treating me like an incompetent rebel who profits solely from friendship, then and only then-" "Then that's a problem between you two and not mine." Valerian commented coolly and Matt growled. "Since we command a significant portion of your forces, that's your problem, _Emperor_." "Not in that tone!" Valerian did not growl, but his eyes betrayed him. Matt simply interrupted the conversation and took a deep breath.

"Incoming transmission." He growled again and accepted the conversation. A sighing Valerian looked at him. "I hate it when our conversations end like this." "That's what I'd expect from a woman, not from you." Matt also sighed. "Well, since we both do not have time for a woman, we'll probably have to be content with each other." Matt arched an eyebrow, Valerian blushing and coughing. "You know how I mean that." Matt smiled and nodded. After a very difficult start, the two had developed a deep friendship that Matt did not want to miss. "So ... just take a day off. Normal people have a weekend, I heard." Valerian said skeptically and Matt chuckled. "All right."

\---

And so, Matt strolled through the shopping mall again, drifting away with the sounds and events around him. He avoided running children and wondered about the current fashion presented in the shop windows, he snatched chatter and tried to ignore the reactions to the recognition of his person. And then suddenly he was standing in front of the café where he had been sitting almost three months ago, and saw through the front window the young woman - Anna - sitting in a corner.

_"Did you ever think about the people on the other side of the battlefield?" Matt asked thoughtfully. "It's better not to start with that. On your own side, there are enough things to worry about." Jim replied and shook his head. "Why are you asking?" "Because we're suddenly on the other side," Matt said softly. "No, there are just not two sides anymore." "But we are still the rebels, anyway." Jim sighed. "That doesn’t sound like your usual argument with the general. So, who did you meet?" "I-" Matt searched for words. "A pretty widow who let you down?" "Jim!" "So, I'm right." "I ... no, you’re not." Matt protested, but Jim shook his head again. "Don’t even start thinking about it. It's not your fault."  “But I feel guilty!" Matt said more sharply than he actually wanted. "Because you fought for justice?" They sighed almost at the same time. "She didn’t let me down. Not really." Matt then said softly. "But she has a little daughter. And the fact she doesn’t blame me feels terrible." It took Jim a long time to answer. "We're all human, Matt. And everyone has their own limits to emotions he can endure. If she has a small child, she probably has no reserves left to have a grudge for every single Raider. But honestly, do you want to feel bad about any widow you meet?"_

Matt entered the cafe and walked to the counter. The young man behind swallowed before politely asking, "Any wishes already?" "Two big chocolate cookies for the young woman in the back there. Her name is Anna. And for me, a double espresso macchiato." "Very well." They nodded to each other and then Matt sat down at a table in another corner, from where he could see Anna. She got the cookies served by a waitress before Matt got his coffee. She looked surprised and turned to him after a hint from the waitress. She looked at him astounded and then she blushed. Matt smiled and nodded to her, surprised she turned her eyes away. Then she said something to the waitress, grabbed her things, and scurried between the tables to him, followed by the waitress, who brought the cookie plate and her cup.

Anna sat down, but only when another waiter, who served Matt's coffee, disappeared again, she asked softly: "Matt ... what brings you here?" "Hmm. Planet or mall?" He asked, smiling back. "Both." "General Arlingston's affairs and a day off." She smiled. "I hope this is not the first free day since the last time." "... yes." "Oh." He shrugged. "The Hyperion is as much my home as my workplace. Already for years." "Normally I would say that this is not very healthy, but a battlecruiser is probably something different than an office job," she commented critically. "A little bit," he smirked. "But an admiral has a lot more paperwork to do than a captain." "Do I hear frustration?" She teased, smiling mischievously and smiling. "Frustration? No. I love my job. Otherwise I would hardly have married it.", He joked and she snorted the milk foam over the table with laughter. "Sorry," she chuckled behind her hand. Matt grinned. It was incredibly good to laugh with someone who had a completely different perspective than he did. "But _Hyperion_ is not a female name, is it?" She asked. "No," Matt agreed. " _Hyperion_ is in the ancient legend a Titan, the Lord of the Light or the East. He is the father of Helios, Selene and Eos." A thoughtful expression entered her face. "That sounds hopeful." "Do you think so?" She nodded, but then she changed the subject.

The longer they talked, the harder it was for Matt to find an end to the conversation. When she apologized briefly to talk to her mother-in-law, he glanced at his own phone and found a dozen messages from Stetmann, who, as so often, wanted something fundamentally important. A subject was _new employee_ and Matt sighed. "Excuse me. My mother-in-law is a bit exhausting." Anna sighed and dropped into her chair. Matt smiled. "Thank goodness the Hyperion has no mother." Anna smiled crookedly. "You're serious, right?" "About what exactly?" "That you live for your job." He shrugged apologetically. "There are worse things." "I would like to meet the Hyperion. Since she's so intriguing to you ..." She winked at him and got pink cheeks.

Matt paused and looked at her thoughtfully, only noticing that more than a few seconds passed as she flicked in front of his face. "Anna to Matt, are you still there?" "I have a suggestion." "Oh?" "Our ship's own scientist is a bit own and constantly looking for new employees. You could give it a try and get a taste of laboratory air again," he said. She stared at him in astonishment. "But ... but what do I do with my baby?" "You take her with you. On board, there are certainly a bunch of women who would love to take care of a toddler. In about three months we will come back here, then you can decide how you want to continue. And if you don’t want to go back to your parents-in-law, I'll gladly take you somewhere else." He didn’t even know why he made her this crazy suggestion. The Hyperion was a battlecruiser, and certainly not the place for a small child. But as crazy as the idea was, he looked at Anna for it rattling inside her. "Think about it."


	4. Chapter 4

Anna had thought. Of course, she had. And then she had packed her things. She held her daughter in her arms, which was feeling confidently enough with her soother and plush elephant to keep a close eye on their surroundings as they left the small shuttle that brought them to the Hyperion which was still in the spaceport. A man came up to her. "Anna Carter?" "Yes." "Are your belongings in there?" "Yes ..." He nodded to her. "This is your key card. Someone will bring you to your quarters later. In the meantime, we take care of your belongings.” He raised his hand and two more men came over. "Thank you." Anna said in surprise. "Command from the top." Came the answer with a shrug. He disappeared inside the shuttle and left them a little lost in the docking bay. _Later_ could mean everything, but if there was an order from the very top, there should be someone welcoming them. Well, she hadn't expected it to be Matt, but as she approached the quieter edge of the docking bay, she saw him descending a staircase to a gallery, a short-spoken smile on his face.

Matt could not help picking up Anna and her daughter from the shuttle by himself, after this type of invitation he made. As he left the gallery from where he had watched the shuttle arrive, he was surprised to find that she looked terribly lost, holding tight to the little girl on her arm. "Welcome aboard the Hyperion," he said politely, trying a cautious smile under these professional circumstances. "Thanks ... Admiral." She smiled tightly. "The board time is a bit off local time, so you have the rest of the day for yourself, Mrs. Carter." "Oh, okay ... um ... what time is it now?" She asked confused, glancing quickly on the narrow watch on her left wrist. "Four o'clock and-" he mimicked the gesture, "nine minutes." She blinked. "Idiot." He hid his amusement behind a cough- to the local time was no difference bigger than twenty minutes. "I'll take you to your quarters." "Thank you." She looked as if she couldn't decide between anger and amusement.

"And what's the name of the little miss? The protocol reminds me to ask for it every half hour." He then said, as they left the bay and went through the corridors of the ship. The little one mumbled something. "Please take the soother out of your mouth when you talk," Anna said and promptly the little girl did. "Lilly," she said to Matt and put the soother back in her mouth, then hid her face on Annas neck. Anna smiled and stroked her head.  
Lilly had dark blond curls and if Matt had seen it properly in the hallway light, her eyes were gray, while Anna's smooth hair was light-blonde and her eyes were green.   
"She's cute," he said and Anna nodded. "If she's not stubborn." "I have no idea about kids," he said apologetically. "Me neither," she replied with amusement, "I only know my daughter." Irritated, he looked at her, but she smiled widely. "Every kid is different, Admiral." "Yeah, that sounds ... logical." He nodded. And because he didn’t know what else to say, he began to tell about the Hyperion, where which corridor led, how he had thought of their stay, and a whole lot of things that suddenly seemed like nonsense to him, though he had thought about what he had to explain to her before. But Anna listened gravely, nodding and asking, while Lilly turned her head and watched him from the side until they reached the two Carter ladies' quarters.  
"Well ... I hope this will work for the next months.", he said. Anna smiled and dropped Lilly to the ground, who immediately hit the door. "Open." "Yes, darling." Anna opened the door and Lilly entered, ready to explore her new kingdom. "Thanks ..." Anna looked left and right. "... Matt." He smiled and nodded to her. "Tell me, if you need something. And ... uhm ... Emma Morrison comes in at six-thirty. She's one of the two women who almost had a fight with each other when I mentioned carefully that- " "Mommy!" "Lilly?" Anna called questioningly, nodding at him. "Thank you, really." "Gladly." He watched as she entered her new home and even stared for a moment at the closed door before returning to his duties.


End file.
